Mixing machine



April 25, 1933. c. F. SCHNUCK ET AL MIXING MACHINE Filed May '23, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS:

95ml? ..}m@, M By ljtimeys,

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS:

W i ifiifizeys, J

C. F. SCHNUCK ET AL MIXING MACHINE Filed May 25, 1930 April 25, 1933.

Patented Apr. 25, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARL I. SCEINUCK, on NEW HAVEN,

AND snaNLnYn. BANBURY, or ANSONIA, coN- NECTICUT, ASSIGNORS T0 FARRELL-BIRMINGHAM COMPANY, INCORPORATED, 0F ANSCNIA, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT MIXING MACHINE Application filed May 23, 1930. Serial No. 454,857.

troughs, and in practical operation a weight is used for pressing the material down into the troughs withinv the sphere of operation of the rotors. Some means are usually employed for'mechanically raising the weight and guiding it in its downward movement so as to permit access of fresh batches of compound.

The present invention has for one of its objects a novel construction of weight which affords several practical advantages in the operation of the machine. The invention also includes other features of improve- 'ment, which'will be hereinafter more fully pointed out.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate one form of the invention- Figure 1 is a vertical section of a conventional type of Banbury mixer, the section being taken transversely of the machine;

Referring to the drawings, let A indicate the mixer as a whole, comprising semi-cylindrical troughs B and C, in which are mounted to rotate, rotors D and E. The latter are of such a shape as to knead or smear the materials against the cylindrical walls of the troughs. Midway between thetroughs is located the feed passage F leading to a hopper device G. A weight H is provided, which is designed to rest upon such materialas may dumped into the. and the latter is utilized to more or less conbe in the neck or immediately above it and place a pressure on the material so that it rotors. Usually. the weight is mounted upon a rod Lwhich carries a piston J above it by means of which it may be raised by fluid pressure beneath the piston from the point shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 to a point slightly beyond the full line position in this figure. Fluid pressure may also be exerted on the upper side of the piston to increase the is forced down into the troughs between the h downward pressure upon the weight- The connections for these purposes, being no part of the present invention, are not, shown.

It will be understood that in the use .of

machines of this type many different com: pounds are mixed, the compounds usually being some form of a rubber mix. These customarily involve the use of dry powders of various types and kinds, some of which will feed rapidly and others slowly, and it is also to be noted that the character of the mix may require either the slow feeding or rapid feeding.

Very frequently the hopper G will be wholly or partly filled with the mix, and under many circumstances the powders used are hopper above the weight trolth-e distribution of the weight throughout the mix by the character of its feed.' It will also be understood that during the operation of the machine, while themix is in Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of progress, the action of the rotors produces an oscillating upward and downward movement of that portion of the material immediately above them, there being, of course, a

tendency of the material to escape upward through the neck in certain angular positions ofthe rotor. This oscillating up and down movement is utilized inthe operation of the machine to feed the powders especially past the weight. 7

In the utilization of 'various types of weight, we have found in practice that if the weight be constructed with an inclined inner face extending entirely in one direction from back to front, a better performance of the feeding mechanism is secured.

FigsQ- and 3 illustrate the, best proportions "be omitted. V

of the weight, as we have found in practice. In these figures the inclined surface K extends from the top of the weight L to a point M near the bottom of the weight. Preferably, .the inclined surface is clear and unbroken except for the boss N to which the lower end of the rod I is secured, this boss dividing the weight intotwo inclined compartments IO and If. Preferably, the boss .is

rounded 'or inclined so as tospill thepowders into either compartment. "The weight is best provided with sides Q and R, which may have lips S and T along their upper and lower edges for nicely rfitting the end walls of the neck and hopper, thereby preventing clogging of the powder in betweent'he end walls.

When the weight .is in the position shown in Fig. l, the feed of powder will progress :over the forward edge U, even though the dimensions of the weight from front to rear accord with the dimensions of the walls of the feeding neck or passage F. But when the weight has arrived at the point in its downward movement where .its lower edge lies within the walls of the passageway, a close fit would retard the passage of the powder. Hence, the front walls U are preferably cutback beyond the plane of the front R so .as to produce a feeding slot when the weight is within the neck. This slot may, of course,

If it is desired to reduce or avoid the feeding slot a filling piece or pieces such as V (Fig. 2 may be bolted or otherwise -fixed within the slot. Conveniently, the feeding slot may be divided into parts by a projection W extending from the 'boss N so that the weight will be .better guided whilein the neck F.

We have found that the weight'as thus provided is more effective than previously known forms. It prevents, to a large extent, clogging of the space between the weight and the inner side of the hopper or neck with powder, as frequently occurs with prior forms. It also produces a discharge facing the frontor hopper side of the machine where the action of the feed can be better inspected. Further, it provides means by which any powder which lodges upon the weight can be easily dislodged from the front of the machine either by the hand of the workman or by the use of a brush or other implement. This avoids an undesirable feature in prior forms, where it has been difficult to dislodge any accrete dpowder or other material which may form .on the faces of the weight.

In the type of mixer shown there is provided a lower gate or door X which is adapted to slide on gu'ideways Y, the sliding motion being lengthwise of the troughs B and C. The opening of the gate provides a longitudinal slot through which discharge of the materials is made after the compounding is completed. The upper part Z of the gate is preferably of a contour where it forms a continuation of the circular wallsof both of the troughs B and C. These features are well known in the art.

According to the present invention, we form the upper part Z as a removable section, preferably connected at about the lower part by a tongue or groove or other suitable connection, and keying it in place by a key such as Z. By this means the upper part, which is subjected to considerable wear due to the fact that it forms a part of the working surface ofthe machine, maybeireplaced without renewal of the lower part of the-gate, which has a long life. So, also,ftheupper part may be made of more expensive andrmoredurable material than the "lower part without any excessive increase in cost.

If it is desired to water-cool the weight, the latter may be formed with cores A, :B, and ingress and egress pipes C, B may be connected with the rcoresas shown in detail in Fig. 2.

The term weight is nse'd in-a generic sense and is meant to'cover thepfressure feedingde vice irrespective of whether it operates-main- *ly by gravity or-otherwise.

While we have shown and described one form ofthe invention, :it will be iunderstood that wve do not wish :to he limited thereto, since various "changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What .-is claimed is: i

1. In a mixing machine, the combination of mixing mechanism anda weight designed to press the material toward said mixing mechanism, said weight having an incline O, P extending from rear to front, with the upper part of the incline at the rear of the weight, :and having side walls Q, defining the ends of the 'incline,'said:side walls having i projecting flanges S, T, and the weight further having a feed slot U lying to the rear of the front portions of the side walls.

2. In a mixing machine, the combination of mixing mechanism, a feed opening, and a weight adapted to press upon the material which isbe'ing fed, said weight having on one side an inclined surface running substantially from top to bottom of the weight, the upper part of the incline'being at the rear, and the lower part of the incline being nearest the feed opening, and the.weight having at its lower front edge nearest the feed opening a feeding slot with parts of the weight projecting in front of such slot.

3.. In a mixing machine, the combination of mixing mechanism, a feed opening, and a weight adapted to press upon the material which is being fed, said weight having on one side an inclined surface running substantially from top to bottom of the weight, the upper part of the incline being at the rear, and the lower part of the incline being nearest the feed opening, and said weight having side walls defining the ends of the incline.

4. In a mixing machine, the combination of mixing mechanism, a feed opening, and a weight adapted to press upon the material which is being fed, said weight having on one side an inclined surface running substantially from top to bottom of the weight, the upperpart of the incline being at the rear, and the lower part of the incline being nearest the feed opening, and said weight having side walls defining the ends of the incline, and said side walls having lips or flanges extending laterally beyond the sides of the weight and designed to contact with the side Walls of the feed passages.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto signed our names.

CARL F. SCHNUGK.

FERNLEY H. BANBURY. 

